U.S. Soldiers Missing During Major Military Exercise in Morocco
The United States Africa Command (Africom) has reported that two U.S. Army soldiers are currently missing in the southwestern region of Morocco, where they were participating in African Lion, the largest annual joint military exercise conducted by the United States on the African continent. The incident took place on May 2, near the Cap Draa training area, located along the Atlantic coast close to Tan Tan, where the Sahara Desert meets the ocean.
According to the Moroccan military, the soldiers were last seen near a cliff, and a U.S. defense official suggested that they may have fallen into the sea, ruling out any connection to terrorism. Sources cited by CBS News indicate that a possible hiking accident could have occurred. The search operation involves both Moroccan and U.S. ground, air, and maritime teams, utilizing helicopters, planes, and drones to scour the coastal area.
African Lion Exercise and Africom’s Role
As the search continues, military exercises have been temporarily suspended to concentrate resources on locating the missing soldiers. Africom is one of eleven combatant commands within the Pentagon, a structure that segments the globe into military responsibility zones managed by the United States. Established in 2007, Africom coordinates American military presence in Africa, where Washington aims to curb the advances of jihadist groups in the Sahel region and counter the growing influence of Russia and China.
This year, African Lion, which began in 2004, has brought together more than 7,000 personnel from approximately 30 countries across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal, with a focus on drones, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence.
As reported by 24-horas.mx.
